


Calling all Bats

by Contro_Bot



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham Knights (Video Game 2021)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Family Dynamics, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27506674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Contro_Bot/pseuds/Contro_Bot
Summary: The Bats were always a tight group, all of them were dependent on each other and the protection of Gotham City. Yet as natural, arguments and disagreements rose within and its members have been scattered to the wind.But Bruce Wayne's death has changed that.With the death of Batman and the slow death spiral Gotham seemed to have found itself in, four vigilantes are hard pressed to defend the city and its citizens, grieving over the man they called their father and mentor. But it turns out, that like any family, the Bats will never let one of their own suffer alone.Here is the story of the Bats and Birds located outside of Gotham at the beginning of the game.
Relationships: Cassandra Cain & Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain, Talia al Ghul & Damian Wayne
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Calling all Bats

It took only five words for Damian’s world to come crashing down. Five specific words that he had never expected in his life, much less in the short amount of time in which he knew who his father was.

_“Billionaire Bruce Wayne is dead.”_

The news had spread like wildfire, the name Wayne was one of the oldest and influential names all over the world. Where the Al Ghuls were scorned into history, the Waynes soared higher and higher despite the presence of his pity cases or his ridiculous airheaded faces he showed to those that should be bowing down to him.

It took less than two hours for confirmation of his father’s death to reach the League. Two hours of pointless waiting and inaction when they should’ve stolen his father’s body to be exposed to the pits. Two hours that they will never get back.

And when it did come, Damian remembers his grandfather being stunned into silence. An action that no one has ever witnessed, one that Damian thought would never see on his grandfather’s face. He remembers his own mother shedding a single tear and it confused him. Why was his mother showing such weaknesses for such a detestable man?

That was an hour before Talia had told him the truth, the truth about Batman, about the real Bruce Wayne, and of his own parentage.

After hearing that, Damian had requested some privacy and had retired to his own quarters where he was safe, where there were no wandering eyes or ears. Where he could be himself away from his grandfather, away from his heritage and his inheritance. Where he could fully grieve for a man he did not know.

It was...strange for him, he had hated the name Wayne. Hated that the man his grandfather had privately decreed to be his equal, was such a fool as to waste the opportunity he was presented with. Hated that he does not try to ‘improve’ his beloved city by force. But now, he was grieving for him. A man that had fathered him and was the Batman, someone who his own grandfather had tried to convince to be his heir and rebuked him time and time again. A man that, Damian realizes, he knows absolutely nothing about.

But, Damian knows plenty about Batman. How he has ‘partners’ subservient to him and follows his every order, how they represent hope towards the disgusting residents of Gotham. How they had kept his father back all these years. But strangely enough, he cannot help but feel attracted to the idea. The idea of becoming a symbol, of becoming known for the deeds he had committed and away from the shadows of a mentor.

A symbol that, strangely enough had a uniform stashed in his own bed. He suspects his mother had some hand in it, perhaps a subtle way of telling him about his father. Damian remembers scornfully throwing it away yet, every time he retires to his quarters he finds the same uniform neatly stacked underneath.

It is ironic, that the day he utilizes the gift he has often tried to get rid of is the same day his father had died with no knowledge of him. It hurt in a way, the idea that his father had never known that he existed after all this time and the idea that, if he did then he did not care about him. 

Damian shook his head as he started to put on the silly costume, it does not change the fact that his father is dead and buried six feet under. Caught by surprise by an opponent that does not show respect and honor to him. An opponent that is smart in not proclaiming to the heavens that they have killed him, that they had removed such a powerful figure in the world.

An opponent that Damian himself will track and hunt down. An opponent that will taste the steel of his blade and whose blood would litter the streets of the detestable city they call home. An opponent that will show that he is worthy of the names Al Ghul and Wayne. Better than the so-called “children” of Bruce Wayne.

As he put on the hood of the costume, Damian could hear more than a few guards patrolling. It seems that his father’s death had put grandfather in a tense mood. And it irked him, he would never get a chance to avenge his own father if he stays here with the League. And most of the assassins would rather die by their own hand than betray grandfather.

Damian could feel a predatory smile form upon his lips, an idea coming to him in an instant. These low ranked fools have no advantages over the Demon’s heir, over the boy that is Damian Al Ghul, son of the Batman.

* * *

Damian cursed to himself, he was almost out of the compound when he came across five guards watching the exits. 

_Guards that were never supposed to be there at all_

Dread began to form inside him, had grandfather predicted what he was attempting? Was he trying to stop Damian from avenging his own father? Despite all of his beliefs about the superiority of blood?

He didn’t understand at all, all of his grandfather’s teachings had been about family and the importance of blood. Was he in the wrong for seeking out his father’s killers and cutting them down where they stand? If anything the League should be out there, killing the men who had dared murder his own father through cowardly means and proving to the world that the League is a force for good than the evil most had thought of them.

Damian felt a hand touch his shoulder and froze, how was he discovered? He had taken extreme measures to ensure that his escape would go unnoticed and -

“ _Habibi_ ” He heard the voice of his mother whispering in his ear, as though they were sharing a conspiracy “ _If you are so dedicated to this plan of yours you must do as I say. Nod if you agree_ ”

Without hesitation, Damian nodded.

“ _Good, follow me_ ” Talia said and Damian turned around and saw the grief stricken face of his mother.

“ _Mother_ ” Damian whispered back, afraid that he would be sent back to grandfather and be punished. “ _W_ _hy?”_

“ _Because this place has no more use for you my child_ ” Talia said as they began to silently walk “Y _our grandfather has...other plans that I do not agree regarding you._ ” 

“ _Mother...I do not understand._ ” Damian replied, surprised that his mother wasn’t taking him back inside. Back where grandfather can watch over and ensure that he is a proper heir.

Talia paused and turned around, giving Damian a long look before letting go a silent sigh.

_“You will understand when you are older._ ” Talia simply said before they continued walking.

They made the small journey in silence, ducking occasionally from wandering patrols or stray assassins. As they made their way towards the corner of the walls, Damian could not help but feel fear, a flurry of questions that he could not ask circling his head like a rabid dog. Questions that he could not ask for fear of getting discovered.

Eventually, they made their way to the corner and Talia lifted up a stone to reveal a small lever. As she pulled it down, a patch of land gave way to reveal a small stairway leading down and Damian could not help but feel terrified by the idea of this existing, why was it here? It was not one of the many secret passages that grandfather had taught him nor did it appear to be old and worn out from time. It looked to be relatively new compared to the compound and it did not help to ease Damian’s worries as they walked down.

“ _Mother_ ” Damian called “ _What is this? Where are we going?_ ”

“ _This was built for you my son_ " Talia softly replied " _For when the day I always feared would come._ "

Damian was confused, built for him? Why? He was not as special as grandfather nor does he think of any reason why this was kept a secret from his grandfather. He also cannot figure out why Talia was scared that she would build this.

Eventually, they reached the bottom and Damian saw what was so special about this passageway. It was a hangar with a single jet present, it was an escape from the compound. 

“ _Habibi_ ” Talia said as they reached the jet “ _Listen closely my child, you are an Al Ghul and a Wayne. You hold the prestige and respect of both names but you must forge your own path. A path separate from your names._ ”

Damian was about to reply but the sound of voices in the passageway they had just left echoed through the cavern, and from how his mother had reacted, it was not a good thing at all.

Without question or hesitation, Talia ushered Damian into the jet and unsheathed her sword from her scabbard

“ _Go! Now!_ ” Talia said as she stood guard over the jet and the voices came closer and closer.

“ _I will not leave you mother!_ ” Damian shot back as he grabbed the hilt of his sword “ _I will not leave your side._ ”

“ _This is not an argument!_ ” Talia shot “ _Find Dick Grayson, tell him I sent you, he will know what to do._ ”

“ _But mother-_ ”

“ _Leave now! Do not look back!_ ”

Damian fought back tears as he started powering up the jet, he knows what to do, what buttons to press but his hands were shaking from the fear of losing his mother after his father had passed. Fear of the punishment grandfather would do to him should he be caught and brought back and fear of leaving his father unavenged.

But somehow, somehow above his mother’s defiant screams, Damian managed to remain calm enough to the point where he successfully activated the engine. The sound of steel clanging all around them as the engine roared to life.

And then Damian made the mistake of looking out of the window, perhaps it was the idea that his mother would throw herself in the jet at the last second or see her victorious over the assassins but…

He sees his mother, bleeding with wounds all over her body with more and more assassins coming down. As she stood defiant towards her attackers, she sent a look towards Damian that all but sealed her fate.

And with a heavy heart, Damian punched it. Forcing the jet to fly out through the tunnel and into the night sky. Pushing all thoughts of his mother to the back of his brain as he needed to be focused, his father’s killers were out there and his incompetent ‘children’ were making no progress in finding them.

He’ll avenge his mother later, after he has avenged his own father first and gathered resources. No matter what happens, Damian knows that he and Ra’s Al Ghul will meet again and this time, Damian shall prove his superiority over the Demon’s head.

But for now, he must save his father’s beloved city.

Gotham City.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Gotham Knights nor do I own Batman, both of which are owned by Warner Bros. and DC respectively.
> 
> Now, this was an idea I've been toying with ever since I saw the Gotham Knights trailer and saw who the playable characters are and given that the game isn't out until next year there's not much information about the existence of any other Bats and Birds either in Gotham or in universe so I thought about writing a fic that explores where they are at the start of the game and how they react to Bruce's death and Code Black.
> 
> I hope you guys like it! Feel free to comment down below which other Batfam character would you like to see inserted in this universe!


End file.
